Meaning of stories in psychotherapy: the fruits of a new unit of observation.

Abstract

It is the new definition of relationship narratives in psychotherapy that has lead to the 14 observation about them in our review and to recognition of their meaning for the process of psychotherapy. Among the most significant externally descriptive observations about relationship narratives were, their identifiability by trained judges, their frecuency in almost all sesions and their focus on recent events in intimate relationships. Internal observations came from the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme (CCRT) method applied to the narratives, including: a high frecuency of wishes for closeness as well as for independence, a high frecuency of negative expectations of responses from others and self, a high pervasiveness of wishes both early and late in therapy, and an increase in positive responses from others and of self as patients improve in psychotherapy.